SFC - a mysterious tool....does it work?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Jeff W
  • Start date Start date
J

Jeff W

Ok - as mentioned in another thread - i wanted to make sure my XP Home
SP2 system was 'ok' so I ran sfc /scannow.

it ran for about an hour with no messages at all (except asking for the
XP CD at the beginning). When it finished it just disappeared. I have
no idea what it did or what happened.

next reboot -I get a "please wait....." with ... going on for a while, a
good 20 minutes, then it stopped with the ... but still sat there.
eventually I held down the power button and restored an old disk
image. I had to roll back to 'last known good configuration' to get
my machine to boot.

There's nothing about this tool in any of my XP books. On microsoft's
site they refer to an important registry key called
HLM/SOFTWARE/Microsoft/Windows/NT/CurrentVersion/Winlogin/SfcScan

which -DOESN"T EXIST- in my registry.

I plan to steer clear of this tool until someone documents it completely
and properly, and suggest that you do as well.

or am I missing something?
/j
 
Denny - that doesn't explain what I should deduce if I get no messages,
whether there's a log, and whether strange things should happen on the
next boot.
/j
 
SFC is really sfc.exe. Sfc.exe is Windows 2000 System File Checker.

To show what is happening while sfc /scannow is running...

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon
Value Name: SFCShowProgress
Data Type: REG_DWORD
Value Data: (0 = disabled, 1 = enabled)

If you do not have the key shown above, create it and set the Value Data to
1.

Instructions here >>>
Display SFC Progress Meter
http://www.winguides.com/registry/display.php/841

The key you're referring to is this >>>
And Sfc sets the value data:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon
Value Name: SFCScan
Data Type: REG_DWORD
Value Data: 0

More info here >>>

scannow sfc (sfc.exe)
http://www.updatexp.com/scannow-sfc.html

Description of Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 System File Checker
(Sfc.exe)
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=310747

HOW TO Verify That Windows File Protection Is Running
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;814597

SfcScan
http://www.microsoft.com/resources/...dowsServ/2003/all/deployguide/en-us/71402.asp

Windows File Protection and Alternative Data Streams
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;286797
 
thanks! - any idea why
1) I don't have the SFCScan key
2) thenext reboot sent it to lala land?

thanks!
/j
 
Jeff,

No, I don't. You should have the SFCScan key set to the default value,
which
would be 0.

The sfc command sets the Value Data for the SFCScan key, with /scanboot &
/scanonce.

The SfcScan value in the following registry key has three possible settings:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon
The settings for the SfcScan value are:
0x0 = do not scan protected files after restart. (Default value)
0x1 = scan all protected files after every restart (set if sfc /scanboot is
run).
0x2 = scan all protected files one time after a restart (set if sfc
/scanonce is run).

From...
Description of the Windows File Protection Feature
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;222193

===

Sfc
/Scanonce: Scans all protected system files one time when you restart your
computer. This command may require access to the Windows installation source
files when you restart the computer. The SfcScan DWORD value is set to 2 in
the following registry key when you run this command:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon

/Scanboot: Scans all protected system files every time you start your
computer. This command may require access to the Windows installation source
files every time you start your computer. The SfcScan DWORD value is set to
1 in the following registry key when you run this command:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon

From...
Description of Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 System File Checker
(Sfc.exe)
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;310747

Registry Settings for Windows File Protection
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;222473

===

Maybe Andrew E. was right, "Youre missing something alright." ;-)
 
Yup - that's what I read - but I search the registry (as well as
checking in the designated spot) and it's not there. I think they
changed it for SP2 and uSoft hasn't doc'd it yet - this is a nit though
- the biggie is what happens on the next boot - the "please wait...';
into oblivion...


thanks
/j
 
Is the u in uSoft supposed to be the letter Mu? Took me a minute to figure
that out. ;-)

I don't know, I do not have SP2.

As far as what's happening at boot, Event Viewer offer any clues?
 
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